Being in the business of estate sterling jewelry for a while now, I've learned so many pieces that are marked 925 are not actually sterling silver. They are fraudulently marked. How can you tell? Easy! The old magnet tests works for those that aren't experts with using liquid acid tests. Sterling silver does not stick to a magnet. Ever! If I am suspicious about a piece that is marked, I will acid test it at least twice. If the acid turns a different shade as instructed in my acid kit (all of them are different), the piece is not sterling silver. I can't tell you how many pieces are marked 925, Sterling, Ster, etc. that are not actually sterling silver. Here are some great tips :
There are many different names for silver jewelry on the market today. So what are all these types of silver and what they mean?
This article will educate you to understand what different terminology, when you buy silver jewelry or silver objects.
What's money?
Silver is a metal that has been used for hundreds of years. Silver is the extraction of many countries, but most producers are Mexico, Peru and Australia. It is in its pure form, is usually considered too soft for everyday use. Therefore, other metals are added to pure silver, such as Cooper.
Different types of "silver"
Sterling silver is the main type used in silver jewelry, ornaments & Tableware today. This is solid silver. Sterling silver is a mixture of 92.5% pure silver and 7.5% of metal alloys. It is hallmarked as "925".
Fine silver is 99.9% pure silver and is usually considered too soft to use for most items. It is also a solid silver.
Silver plating is normal and sometimes dishonest sellers try to pass this off as the Sterling Silver. It is also a challenge electroplated silver or silver coated as well. Silver plated items are produced using the base metal, usually brass or nickel, which is then put through the electrolytic process. Electroplating is a process which adheres to a very thin layer of pure silver to base metals.
The result is looking for an item at a much lower price. It may seem that the Sterling Silver, but the silver plating tend to wear off fairly quickly issued less than a beautiful base metal.
Nickel silver Silver or German Silver is not really silver at all. It is a greyish looking for an alloy, which is similar to silver. It is sometimes referred to as nickel silver, paktong and new money. It is also used as a basis for silver plated items, because of its appearance. If you want real money, drž to go from this. Also beware of sellers to sell as a "fine jewelry" that consumers that do not know the difference between the Sterling Silver and alpaka silver.
Mexican Silver is the money used to describe the silver in Mexico. They must have more than 90% pure silver to be a Mexican silver. Most silver jewelry from Mexico, today is Sterling Silver.
Britannia Silver is pure silver content to 95.85% and not more than 4.16% copper. This money is designated in the United Kingdom and Ireland as a "958 pieces of silver." It is even more pure form of silver than Sterling Silver. It is higher valuer.
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